The sense of horror is developed further in chapter 5. The creation scene is excellent because the book is well written and builds tension to the reader. “ I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limb.” This quote builds tension, as it is the first time the monster rises. Also it shows that it is Victor’s end product of his dream and obsession. Another point is that it makes the reader imagine the scene, by using rich and graphic description, and also the use of colour. The monster has, “ teeth of pearly white,” “black lips.” There is a horrid contrast between beauty and ugliness. The “white teeth” contrast with the “black lips” One is light the other is dark. This is not how Victor expected his monster to turn out. He describes his creation as “ wretched creature.” Victor did not imagine it to turn out like this, and now Victor does not want it because of the way it looks. In addition, this chapter uses pathetic fallacy, this is when the weather reflects the mood of a character. For example, “the rain pattered dismally against the panes” this shows Victor is sad and depressed this is shown in the weather. This certain scene is enduring, as it is well - written and is still relevant today as it is a powerful scene in the novel.
Victor Frankenstein warns a modern audience against prejudice by empathising with the monster. This is because when the monster was created he was like an innocent child. “I issued into the streets. Pacing them with quick steps, as if I sought to avoid the wretch whom I feared every turning of the streets would present to my view”. This quote tells us that the monster doesn’t know where he is going .He doesn’t know how to do anything. Also people around him where evil towards him because of the way he looks. Everyone including his creater also abandoned him. In chapter 11 Mary Shelly creates pity towards the monster. “Food became scarce, spent the whole day searching in vain for a few acorns to assuage the pangs of hunger.” This makes the reader feel pity for the monster as he is hungry and as he hasn’t eaten any food for a long time and he is searching for it, this makes us want to give him food. The author uses powerful vocabulary to show this. Also, the reader feels pity, as the villagers are prejudice towards the monster because of the way he looks. This is shown as the monster says, “the whole village was mussed, some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stone and many other kinds of missile weapons.” This quote shows us that the whole village was prejudiced towards the monster because of the way he looks. The villagers didn’t even know him and the monster didn’t do anything wrong. On top of that, in chapter10 Victor is prejudice towards his own monster as he abandons him because his creations did not turn out to be beautiful. Victor is horrible towards the monster this makes the reader feel more sympathetic towards the monster.
In the novel Frankenstein it also contains warnings against bad perenting. This is shown when Victor abandons his creation, as he is prejudice towards it. In chapter 10 the meeting between Victor and the monster there is a lot of tension. This is because Victor is angry and shouts at the monster by saying “abhorred monster “and” “devil”. Whereas the monster is being reasonable by sitting and talking it over as the monster quotes “be calm.” This is surprising, as the audience would think the monster is going too harm Victor with his aggression. After all that the monster has been through he is still reasonable. Maybe his actions are justified because he is seeking revenge on Frankenstein as he was treated badly by Victor. When the monster was created he was like an innocent child. He didn’t know anything and had to be taught. But his nuture (upbringing) teaches him to be evil as people were prejudiced towards him so this is what he learns from his environment. The only man who shows him affection is blind. “ Here then I retreated, and lay down happy to have found shelter, however miserable. From the inclemency of the season and still more from the barbarity of man.” This is bad parenting from Victor, as he did not teach his creation how to live his life, so instead he learns from others who were prejudiced towards him because of the way he looked.
A major warning in the novel is the dangers of interfering with nature as Victor warns Robert Walton against it in the opening letters. Victor Frankenstein quotes, “ were we among the tamer scenes of nature. I might fear to encounter your unbelief, perhaps your ridicule; but many things will appear possible in these wild and mysterious regions, which would provoke the laughter of those unacquainted with the ever – varied powers of nature.” This shows the reader Victor’s obsession with science. Furthermore, the creature wreaks havoc and revenge against Victor but if the creature had never been created none of this would have happened. Victor interfered with nature by raising the dead to create a monster. As he interfered with nature it is all coming back on him as his own creation turns against him. The warnings made are linked to modern science as in the novel Frankenstein; Victor chooses what his creation should look like. This relates to genetic engineering, which is manipulating genes to change your children. In Frankenstein the monster doesn’t turn out to be what Victor expected, instead the monster turns out ugly. This is telling us that genetic engineering is wrong, because if the baby come out not the way the parents want it to be like they won’t love the child. This is one of the reasons why it is still relevant today.
In this essay I have written about Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I have made several points to prove that this novel has ideas and warnings towards the modern audience. Frankenstein is still popular today because it is well written and has a good story line. This is because it is a gothic novel, it uses language analysis, it opens the novel in an epistolary format and besides this it also gives three narrators perspectives. Also, Frankenstein warns a modern audience against prejudiced. Mary Shelley does this by creating pity towards his creation and lastly the reader empathises with the monster. Furthermore, Frankenstein also contains warning against bad parenting. As Victor, his creator abandoned the creation, and the relationship between Victor and the monster is not how a father and son relationship is meant to be. Lastly, the novel warns the dangers of interfering nature. As it is related to modern audience against prejudiced, this is because people are still prejudiced towards others because of their race, religion, colour or creed. This makes it relevant to a modern reader today.